To celebrate Vikings Live, we have replaced our Roman alphabet with the runic alphabet used by the Vikings, the Scandinavian ‘Younger Futhark’. The ‘Younger Futhark’ has only 16 letters, so we have used some of the runic letters more than once or combined two runes for one Roman letter.

Conservation

Condition
Slight tarnish on the back of the roundel shaped buckle tongue and around the rivets. Dusty and slightly dirty appearance.

Treatment details
Wiped over with distilled water and Synperonic N (non ionic detergent,nonylphenol ethylene oxide condensate), washed off with distilled water on cotton-wool swabs followed by Industrial methylated spirits (ethanol,methanol) wiped off with paper tissue . Remaining tarnish (copper-coloured) in a few areas of the crevices of the chip-carving removed with very small swabs of Silvo, silver wadding polish, degreased with acetone on cotton-wool swabs.